Sweet & Spicy Tomato Chutney

I know I know, this recipe should have been posted when tomatoes were in season. But those of you who have tomatoes still growing in your backyard, I urge you to try this.

Even my picky friend J liked it a lot.The chutney goes well with dosas, pakodas, bread toast and even kichdi.We have basically been having it as a side with everything we can think of.

This is a recipe from the book,"The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking " by Yamuna Devi.

Oil - 3 T
Fennel - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 1
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Dried red chillies - 4
Ripe Tomatoes - 1 1/2 cups chopped
Jaggery or maple sugar - 1/3 cup
Raisins - 1/3 cup
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

• Heat oil in a large pan and when it is hot (should not smoke) add fennel, cumin, cloves and mustard seeds.
• When the mustard begins to pop, add the bay leaf and red chillies broken int to two.
• Immediately add the tomatoes and cook over low heat for about 10 -12 minutes.
• Add the rest of the ingredients and cookfor another 20 minutes until the chutney is fairly thick.
• Serve at room temperature.

The only change I made to the recipe was to substitute oil for ghee and to add more red chillies and less raisins. The author says it can be stored for 5 days in the fridge. I made a double batch and have stored it for more than a week.